“In a prostituted Paris I often see them of an evening, the ridiculous princes of night, the beautiful stallions.” What if the beautiful according to François Esperet was born of the nauseous and the unsettling ? Four songs from a first epic poem which are as many implicit tributes to William Faulkner or to the thieves of the New Testament.   François Esperet Contemporary writer François Esperet has already lived several lives. Multiplicity doesn't scare him—he studied at the Ecole Normale, and was a police officer, a political adviser, and an orthodox deacon—but seems to anchor him in a reality […]

“The hidden white foundation all over her face, and unmasked breasts and milky arse.” Black, black is the reality of those night workers who, in a novel/poem, leave the reader in a limbo as beautiful as it is dark.   François Esperet Contemporary writer François Esperet has already lived several lives. Multiplicity doesn't scare him—he studied at the Ecole Normale, and was a police officer, a political adviser, and an orthodox deacon—but seems to anchor him in a reality and a spirituality linked by writing, and in particular by poetry. Focusing on the intensity and absolute quality of his poems, […]

“The hidden white foundation all over her face, and unmasked breasts and milky arse.” Black, black is the reality of those night workers who, in a novel/poem, leave the reader in a limbo as beautiful as it is dark. François Esperet Contemporary writer François Esperet has already lived several lives. Multiplicity doesn't scare him—he studied at the EcoleNormale, and was a police officer, a political adviser, and an orthodox deacon—but seems to anchor him in a reality and a spirituality linked by writing, and in particular by poetry. Focusing on the intensity and absolute quality of his poems, he dives […]

In a deserted camp, after the war, a young girl tells the story of her flight, of a collective rape, of the child growing inside her, of her hate, of war, and of her burgeoning love for Boy Killer. All with a child's falsely naive words, full of modest emotions. Jardin de la rue de Mons © Christophe Raynaud de Lage

“He's not dead yet, of course. He's alive and kicking, my father. He doesn't call, but everything seems to be going well. He's retired, he lives like people in the West live when they're retired.” Guy Régis, Jr., continues his exploration of family and absence. Commissioned by the Festival des Francophonies en Limousin. Adaptation of a short text written in residence at the Maison des auteurs of the Festival des Francophonies in Limoges, with a grant from the CNL. The five times I saw my father will be published by Gallimard in 2019. Jardin de la rue de Mons © […]

Cette pièce est l'histoire d'une femme qui exige d'être aimée au milieu de la fureur d'une ville dont les ombres et les mirages se font chair afin de porter le désir et de rendre possible le rêve de l'amour et l'amour du rêve. L'histoire s'écrit dans une rue de Kinshasa, sur le trottoir plus précisément.   Jardin de la rue de Mons © Christophe Raynaud de Lage

Young Rwandan and European artists worked together on their relationship with the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Some of them were victims, other witnesses, some were born after, others only experienced it from afar. Dorcy Rugamba and Olivia Rosenthal translated and edited together texts by Mandali Léon Athanase, Désiré Bigirimana, Amélie Durand, Elitza Gueorguieva, Jean Delacroix Hakizimana, Aimée Ishimwe, Jean-Paul Kayumba, David Lopez, Louise Mutabazi, Natacha Muziramakenga, Élise Rida Musomandera, James Rwasa, Aimable Twiringiyimana, Cécile Umutoni. A story told by many voices.   Jardin de la rue de Mons © Christophe Raynaud de Lage

Three young women aged 20 to 30 meet in a cemetery by the grave of a man they claim to have killed. They smoke, drink, play music, sing, and dance to prevent him from resting in peace. Never-ending vengeance as a means of emancipation. Winner of the Prix Inédits d'Afrique et Outremer 2018.   Jardin de la rue de Mons © Christophe Raynaud de Lage

Written in 1987, a year before the death of its author, this short story in dialogue form takes place in the streets of Kinshasa on 30 June 1960, the day the Congo became independent. Dance, beer, happiness, and impatience... In a few hours' time, Ndinga, for now a houseboy, will have become a man.   Jardin de la rue de Mons © Christophe Raynaud de Lage

Dans l'écrin enchanteur du jardin de la rue de Mons, dix jeunes comédiens répètent en public et en musique l'adaptation radiophonique de La Chute de la maison, pièce mise en scène par Samuel Achache et Jeanne Candel dans le cadre des Talents Adami Paroles d'acteurs.   Écrits d'acteurs © Christophe Raynaud de Lage

Dans l'écrin enchanteur du jardin de la rue de Mons, dix jeunes comédiens répètent en public et en musique l'adaptation radiophonique de La Chute de la maison, pièce mise en scène par Samuel Achache et Jeanne Candel dans le cadre des Talents Adami Paroles d'acteurs. Écrits d'acteurs © Christophe Raynaud de Lage